1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in time reaction game apparatus and, more particularly, to an electronic time reaction game apparatus in which one or more players must respond to a start signal, select a proper response and initiate a proper response in the shortest possible time to generate a score.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
With the advent of microprocessors, there have been a large number of games capable of being played by one or more players, and in which the microprocessor causes the generation of an action and the player attempts to respond to this action. Many games of this type are coin-operated and found in public establishments such as restaurants and the like. The microprocessor may operate in connection with a cathode ray tube to generate a game in which time action responses are required, e.g. simulated tennis or the like. In other games, the microprocessor causes generation of a battlefield in which two or more players attempt to orient their objects, e.g. tanks or similar weapons, into a proper position and to actuate a switch to shoot at the opponent's object.
There has also been a prior art game having a plate with a pair of opposed walls and a figure representative of a karate figure on both of the opposed walls of the plate. A number of lights, relatively hidden from view of the players, were located on or adjacent to the karate figure and could be energized to be simultaneously visible to opponent players on both of the opposed walls. These lights were located at strategic places on the karate figure, as for example, the elbows, knees, shoulders and the like. Each of the players were required to respond to the energized light by hitting the plate with their hands, and the first one to hit the plate in the region of the light would achieve a score.
Another prior art game which required response from a pair of opponent players involved an object, representative of a turtle, which was movable between a pair of opposed goal areas. The turtle was relatively large and movable on a floor or similar surface and not on a game board. The game device included a control box and each of the players were provided with a pair of player actuable push-button response switches on the box. The switches for each player were wired to movement of the turtle. One of the switches of each of the players was provided with a first indicia, e.g. red, and the second of the switches for each player was provided with a second indicia, e.g. white. If both players actuated red switches or white switches, the turtle would move to one player's goal area. If one play actuated a red switch and the other player a white switch, the turtle would move to the other player's goal area. Each of the players would attempt to advance the turtle toward the opponent player's goal and, by so doing, the player who advanced the object to the opponent player's end would achieve a score or win the game. If the turtle was moving toward one of the player's own goal areas, he attempted to quickly release one response switch and actuate the other in order to reverse the direction of movement of the turtle. The other player would respond by immediately actuating his other switch. The various switches of one player were shielded from view by the other player. This game was operable by a simple electric motor which caused the turtle to move in response to the opening and closing of the response switches.